bissell



(NoModeL) 3 Sheets- 8mm: 1.

M. R. BISSE'LL & W. J. DREW.

I CARPET SWEEPER. No. 349,684.

Patented Sept.28, 1886.

(No ModeL) 3Sheets--.Sheet 2.

M. R. BISS'BLL & W. J. DREW.

CARPET SWBEPER.

Patezit'ed Sept. 28, 1886.

aunt-@615 Waller elflrem all :1. Farms, Hub-hammer. Wnhlngtcn. u. a

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet a.

M. R. BISS'ELL .& W; J. DREW;

. CARPET SWEEPER. 'No. 3491684. Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

71 mz/eiafira I Well/571613452966 WzZie? fl w Y UNI-TED: Srnfrli s PATENT I FFICE.

MELVILLE R. BISSELL AND \VALTER J. DREV, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., ASSIGNORS TO THE BISSELL CARPET SWVEEPER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CARPET-SWEEPER.

SPEOIPICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,684, dated September 28, 1886. Application filed July 7, 1885. Serial Xo..170,923. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, llIELVILLE R. BIssELL and WALTER J. DREW, citizens of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county 5 of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oarpet Sweepers, of which the following is a specifi cation.

This invention relates to carpet sweepers,

IO and has for its objects to provide a novel s'pring holder for the drivewheels, and to provide novel means for discharging the dust-pans.

The objects of our invention we accomplish in the manner and by the means hereinafter I 5 described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of our improved carpetsweeper in position for use, the

bail being turned to one side, thereby locking;

2c the dust-discharge and preventing the escape of dirt during the operation of sweeping. Fig.-

2is a side elevation of the sweeper with the bail and handle raised to a right angle with the brush-casing, which is shown tilted toward 25 one end, thereby opening the (lustdiseharge for the exit of dirt through the open ends ofthe dust-pans. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the sweeper, showing a modification in the form of the dust-discharge lock, the door be ing partly broken away to show the dischargeopening at the end of one of the dust-pans. Fig. 4-is an elevation of the opposite end of the sweeper, showing the manner of mounting and supporting the'drive-wheels. Fig. 5 is a 3 5 sectional detail showing the manner of attach,- ing the wheel-holder to the brush-casing. Fig.

6 is a perspective View of the spring-wheel holder. Fig. 7 is a partial bottom plan view of the carpetsweeper. Fig. 8 is a vertical 4o cross-section showing the manner of mounting the rotary brush. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the brush end bearings'and Fig. 10

is a vertical section of the same; Fig. 11, a View similar to Fig. 4, showing the sweeper- 4 5 case elevatedfrom' the floor, as'wlien pressure on the case is removed.

The brush-casing or sweeper-box, designated by the numeral 1, is made in the usual oblong form, and is provided on each side with a dustpan, 2, that receives the sweepings taken up by the rotary brush 3, which is journaled in said box. The" box sides 4 are extended at one end beyond the end board, 5, and support a cross-bar, 6, to the inner side of which is attached one of the end bearings, 7', for the jour- 'nals of the brush. This cross-bar 6, in connection with the extended ends of the box sides,

also forms ahousing for the drive-wheels 8, by

which the brush is rotated. The opposite end 'of the brush is j ournaled in an end bearing, 7,

attached to the innerside of the end board,9, the other end board, 5, being slotted at 10 for the passage of the brush-shaft.

' For the purpose of journaling the rotary brush 3 iusuch a manner that it will be securely held from any liability of accidental displacement, and yet be readily detachable for cleaning, and also capable of being replaced with case, we prefer to employ at either or both "endsa bearing,"'7, formed as showniu Figs; 9 and 10. This bearing plate or lug 7 is provided with openings 11 for the passage of screws by which it is detachably secured in place, and it may also be flanged or ribbed upon the back,or otherwise formed with projections to be countersunk in the surface to which it is attached. The face of this bearingplate is slightly curved or beveled, as shown, and provided with an 0pen-ended longitudinal slot or groove, 12, at the closed end of which. is a depression or seat, 13, for the reception of the brushjournal that is readily slipped therein over the swell or inclined projection 14,ad-- joining said seat. This form of bearing-plate may be attached to either end of the brush-cas- 8 5 ing while any other suitable form of bearingplate may be secured to the opposite end of the sweeper. If desired, however,the bearing-plate 7, constructed as shown in Fig. 9, may be provided for'both brush-j ournals; The '90 brush is readily mounted in position for use by first inserting one of the end pins or journals 15 into its proper bcaringplate, and then crowding the opposite journal past the swell or projection 14 into the adjacent seat 13, the 5 yielding nature of one of the box ends or bearing-supports permitting this to be quickly and easily accomplished, and at the same time serving to insure the retention of the brush in a position where it can rotate freely without {00 rubber-faced drive-wheels 8.

liability of becoming dislodged. The brush is removed with equal ease by passing the hand through the bottom of the sweeper-box, grasping the brush-shaft at one end and drawing it firmly outward. \Vc are thus enabled to so arrange the brush that it will be always capable of rotation and instant removal without the employment of attached metal springs, and without any necessity of detaching or otherwise disturbing its bearings.

On the brush-shaft is a friction-gear, 16, through which the brush is actuated by the These drivewheels are mounted upon a spring-holder, 17, the preferred form of which is shown in Fig. 6, which represents a continuous wire spring capable of supporting both. drive wheels, and at the same time serving as a means for detachably connecting said wheels with. the casing, and permitting the casin to have the necessary vertical movement with relation to the wheels to increase or diminish their frictional contact with the brush-gear 16 as required. At each -end ot' the continuous wire springholder 1.7 is an inwardly-projecting axle, 18, for one of the wheels. Extending from the outer portion of each axle the spring-holder rises on an angle to a point above the wheel, then curves inward above the same and to ward the casing orsWeeper-box, and is bent forward and backward at" its respective ends to form the spring-loops 19, whence the opposite ends of the holder pass along the end of the casing l to a central inwardly bent loop, 20, that is inserted into a slot, 21, formed in the upper central part of the end board, 5, where it is secured by a covering-plate, 22, that also serves as one of the journal-bearings for the bail 23, to which is attached the sweeper-handle. It is obvious that the form of the spring may be varied without affecting our invention. If desired, the central attaching-loop may be dispensed with and the holder be secured by the plate 22 alone, or by any other convenient means. It will be observed that by this construction pressure downward on the sweepercasing brings the drive-wheelsSin closer contact with the brush-shaft and increases the friction; also, by this construction the axles enter the wheels from the outside, allowing the flat surface of the hubs to rest against the end of the casing, and also the spring-holder above the wheels to rest against the box or easing, thus obtaining a firm bearing for the Wheels and their spring-holder by simple, inexpeir sive, and effective means.

In each lower corner of the end board, 9, and communicating with the ends of the dustpans, is a segmental opening, 24, for the escape of the accumulated sweepings. These openings 24 are closed when the sweeper isin use by an automatic dust-discharge door, 25, that is hinged at its upper portion to the easing end board. This door is provided with a bifurcated latching lever or loop, 26, formed of suitable wire, bent as shown in either Fig. 1 or Fig. 3, and capable of serving as a lock to ation of sweeping.

secure the door or flap 25 when the bail is thrown into an inclined position to either side of the sweeper-boX as shown in Fig. 1. The latching lever or loop shown in Fig. 1 consists of a wire loop journaled in the upper part of a plate,-27, secured 'to the end board, 9, and in which one end of the bail 23 is also journaled. This loop extends down centrally over the flap or door 25 and passes through a loop, 28, near its lower edge, where it is held by reason of its length being sufficient to prevent it from slipping out of place either while the door is in motion or at rest. The latching lever or loop shown in Fig. 8 consists of a piece of spring-wire bent twice at a right angle and passed down through small staples or screw eyes 29, attached to the upper edge of the end board, the lower ends of said wire being passed down partly over the door 25 and secured thereto in any suitable manner. lt will be observed that when the bail 23 is thrown in an inclined position to either side of the sweeper-casing, as shown in Fig. 1, it will pass over either arm of the latching lever or loop 26, whichever may be employed, and will thereby automatically secure the door 25 from any liability of opening while the sweeper is in use. By tilting the sweeper toward the exit end of the dust-pans while the bail and handle are in an upright position or at a right angle with the casing, as shown in Fig. 2, the latch or loop 26, being thus relieved of pressure, will permit the door to open and discharge the con tents of the dust-pans. It will be seen that the door or flap 25 is thus capable of opening and shutting freely while the bail is nearly or quite at a right angle with the casing, so as not to press against the latching-loop, while by simply turning the bail to either side, as becomes necessary in the act of sweeping, the bail will immediately press against the loop, thereby closing and securing the door, and so preventing the escape of dirt during the oper On one end of the sweeper-box, at the bottom and adjacent to the lower edge of the dust-door, is a runner, 30, that also serves as a brace for the open ends of the dust pans.

In Fig. ithe sweeper-case is represented as depressed to its limit, sothat it is in contact with the floor and its lower edge in line with the surfaces of the drive-wheels resting on the floor; but, obviously, if the pressure on the case be removed the action of the springholder on the wheels will be such as to raise the case from the floor, after which it can be depressed as required.

\Vhat we claim is 1. The combination, with a sweeper-casing, a rotary brush-shaft, and drive-wheels, of a holder for said wheels, consisting of a wire spring, the body of which is arranged at the end wall of the casing and attached intermediate its ends to the said end wall above the brush-shaft, said wire having at each end portion a bent loop and provided at its extremities with axles carrying the drive-wheels,

ITO

said casing being capable of yielding verticallyin relation to the drive-wheels, to increase or diminish the frictional contact of the wheels with the brush shaft, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a sweeper-casing, a brush-shaft, and drive-wheels, of a holder for said wheels,consisting of a continuous wire spring having its body arranged at the end wall of the casing and provided at each extremity with an axle from which it rises at an angleto a point above the wheels,and then extends inward over the latter with portions bent around to form spring-loops, and a plate detachably securing the wire centrally between its ends to the end wall of the casing above the brush-shaft, substantially as described.

3. In a carpetsweeper, the combination, with the dust-pans and an end board having openings communicating with said pans, of a door hinged at its upper portion to said end board and provided with a latching loop or lever locked by the bail of the sweeper, substantially as described.

4. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination, 25 with the dust-pansand a casing end board having openings communicating therewith, of an automatic dust-discharge door hinged to said end board and provided with a latch or locking loop, and the sweeper-bail adapted to be turned to either side of the casing, whereby thedust-discharge door is closed and locked by swinging the bail to one side and opened by turning said bail to an upright position and tilting the casing, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

MELVILLE R. BISSELL. \VALTER J. DRE\V.

Witnesses ARTHUR/G. DENISON, FRED W. STEVENS. 

